Chapter 26: Back to Reality

Chapter 26: Back to Reality

Tang Yaoyao Xu Xiaocheng was aghast at the scene. The look of sheer terror filling her eyes became more intense the longer she gaped at Tang Yaoyao. Whats going on with your body?

At the others words, Tang Yaoyao lowered her head and suspiciously glanced down at her own body, only to finally see what was happening to her. She could only stare in horror as the skin on her whole body turned glaringly red, as if the boiling blood underneath her skin was seconds away from overflowing and messily splashing the entire ground.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Issuing the most blood-curdling shriek, Tang Yaoyao frantically began rubbing and scratching her body, digging her nails into her skin, as if her actions would somehow stop the redness from growing; however, to her dismay, her actions only caused the crimson marks to spread even faster, until her entire body eventually became red through and through.

Ahhhhhhhhh! Save me ah! Somebody save me!!! Ackkkkkkk As ceaseless, plaintive screeches spilled from her mouth, Tang Yaoyaos body began to exhibit more changes. Her skin and muscles started turning stiff, as if rigor mortis had set in, and she soon collapsed to the floor like a mannequin.

All of this happened in a blink of an eye. No one could hardly process what theyd just witnessed. By the time they were able to react, the tragedy that befell Tang Yaoyao had already passed. Tang Yaoyaos body was sprawled across the floor, her wide eyes were staring vacantly at the ceiling, and she had lost all signs of life. It looked as though her entire body had been dipped into crimson paint; even the whites of her manic eyes had been stained by that diabolical red tint.

Utterly frightened out of her wits, Xu Xiaocheng started bawling outrageously. Lin Qiushi was also struck dumb by this scene; his words escaped him, and all that was left behind in his mouth was a bitter taste.

Zhang Xinghuo exhaled the breath he had been holding in and foolishly remarked, There goes another one. Will all of us really be able to live through this?

His question was met with deathly silence. With the exception of the groups labored breaths, there wasnt a sound heard. Everyone in the room remained tight-lipped and tense.

Tang Yaoyaos corpse was lying stiffly on the ground. Lin Qiushi didnt dare stare at it for a long time, but he couldnt help but notice that there was something oddly fishy with her corpse. Compared to those individuals who had died before, Tang Yaoyaos corpse did not lack any body parts; that was to say, nothing was missing and no part of her seemed to vanish with her death. Rather, she just dropped dead in front of the other just like that, without any warning and with all of her parts intact.

While the group was at a standstill, still trying to process what had just transpired, the hostess, who always seemed to be occupied with something in the kitchen every time they saw her, soon appeared again. She stood at the doorway, smiling at the crowd and lightly wiping her hands on her apron, and said, I made you all something absolutely scrumptious! How about a taste, yes?

Naturally, no one answered to her.

Aiya, aiya. The woman chuckled. Why the long faces, everyone? The time to celebrate the birthday party is approaching fast. When the time comes, those frowns will surely be turned upside down; you will definitely be jumping in joy! She tittered endlessly, until she could no longer suppress her giggles and began cackling disturbingly. Her eerie laughter was particularly horrifying, chilling everyone down to their very bones. After making this announcement, the woman swiveled on her heels and sashayed back into the kitchen to continue doing God-knows-what.

Wait. After a long time, Ruan Nanzhu finally broke the silence. His voice didnt carry a hint of panic or apprehension; in fact, his tone was incredibly calm and composed. There shouldnt be any more deaths now.

How do you know? Xu Xiaocheng tentatively inquired.

Intuition. Ruan Nanzhu flashed her a grin. My intuition never lies.

Having heard what Ruan Nanzhu stated, Zhang Xinghuo, who was standing beside them, scrunched his face in thoughtfulness. I seriously hope youre right. Then again, a womans intuition is usually accuratescarily accurate, in factespecially a beautiful womans

The queenly Ruan Nanzhu hummed in approval, You have good eyes.

Lin Qiushi: What are you looking all confident and poised for? Just how thick is your skin? How in the world can you still respond to him like that without feeling ashamed of yourself, huh?

Nevertheless, even though Ruan Nanzhu was not a woman, his intuition was certainly just as accurate, if not more. There werent any deaths that came about in the next two days. Like maltreated prisoners awaiting their verdict, the four individuals could only struggle to swallow that tasteless bread as they waited for the upcoming birthday party.

On the eve of the birthday party, Ruan Nanzhu and Lin Qiushi decided to go back to the roof to check out the situation again. When they went this time, they actually found something odd in the rooftop equipment shelter.

Whats this? Having spotted these objects, Lin Qiushi didnt give much of a reaction; he simply strolled over to inspect them more closely. Placed before him were several large containers. Some of the containers contained white liquid, and others contained red, meat-like substances. But it was only after he observed what was next to these containers that he gasped in realization. A glass jar was neatly lined up with the containers and stuffed with what seemed to be a small, circular objects. But if one examined this jar carefully, one would discover that what seemed to be normal orbs were actually human eyeballs.

Looking at these eyeballs, Lin Qiushi thought of the young man on the fourth floor who was brutally murdered. Based on these observations, it wasnt difficult to guess that most of these unrecognizable objects and substances actually belonged to the members of their group.

Zeng Ruguos brain. Zhong Chengjians flesh and innards. And Tang Yaoyaos bloodstained bones

Dont tell me these are Lin Qiushi faced Ruan Nanzhu.

They probably are, replied Ruan Nanzhu.

Lin Qiushi was rendered speechless.

Lets go. Ruan Nanzhu said. Well get all the answers we want tomorrow.

Alright. Lin Qiushi nodded.

And once again, another night passed just like that. Eventually, the noise from alarm clock roused them from their sleep. Awakening to utter darkness, Lin Qiushi could hardly believe it was already morning. He thought it was still nighttime because the surroundings were practically pitch-black and the light from the sun was completely shrouded by the thick, gloomy clouds.

On the other hand, Ruan Nanzhu was already awake. He was leaning against the headboard of the bed and appeared to be deep in thought.

Its already morning? Lin Qiushi climbed out of bed and checked the time just to make sure.

Yeah. Ruan Nanzhu cleared his doubts. It hasnt been bright out at all today.

Although the days here were usually overcast, there was still the occasional light. But today, there truly wasnt a single ray of sunshine. Everything was enveloped by the darkness; only the dim, yellow glow of their lamps provided them with a faint light to see.

Lin Qiushi soon got dressed and left the room with Ruan Nanzhu.

The triplets birthday party was to take place at noon today, and if Ruan Nanzhus speculation was correct, something was bound to happen. The moment the two stepped foot outside of their room, they caught sight of Xu Xiaocheng and Zhang Xinghuo standing in the hallway. The two stood at the entrance of the corridor and didnt dare enter the womans place.

Looks like were all here, As of this moment, there were only four people remaining on the team. Now that everyone had gathered together, Ruan Nanzhu declared, Lets head in now. And with that, he took the first step.

Only a small lamp was turned on, weakly illuminating their surroundings, but Lin Qiushi could still clearly make out the changes in the room. It was as though someone had thoughtfully decorated the entire place. Colorful ribbons hung on the wall, glittery confetti sprinkled the floors, and several huge plush dolls sat on the sofa. It was truly a beautiful scene of celebration, a picturesque view of an ideal birthday party.

As soon as they entered the residence, they heard a familiar melody coming from the bedroom. Happy Birthday was being sung in English. But the soft voice that was singing sounded too mechanical and off-tune, awfully eerie and disturbing.

Wearing a pretty red dress and clutching a doll in her arms, the last of the triplets sat mutely on the corner of the sofa. She impassively watched the four individuals enter the room.

Who am I? The little girl suddenly demanded.

Ruan Nanzhu didnt miss a beat, and he calmly answered, You are Xiaotu.

Have you seen my older sisters? The little girl proceeded to ask. They are supposed to celebrate the birthday party with me, but they havent come back yet.

I have seen them. Ruan Nanzhu told her. They are dead.

The little girl slowly blinked her eyes. She silently stared at Ruan Nanzhu then turned toward the others; her beady eyes gradually scanned the four individuals before her. Lin Qiushi expected her to continue asking questions, but he certainly did not expect her to nod, then quietly confess, I know.

Just as she finished asking her questions, the sound of footsteps started to grow louder. This time, it appeared to be coming from the kitchen. The woman was humming happily, and she seemed to be in an extremely cheerful mood. It wasnt long before she emerged from the kitchen, whistling joyously and pushing a huge object towards the living room.

When she entered the living room, Lin Qiushi finally recognized what she brought with her.

It was an enormous birthday cake, and with just one glance, everyone could tell that it was a beautiful masterpiece. The cake had a total of three fluffy layers. Fresh buttercream frosting coated the cake, like a blanket of pure white snow, handfuls of glossy red fruits of unknown origin decorated the sides of the cake, and three big candles were lit on the top of the cake, flickering dimly.

Happy birthday, my sweet child. The woman congratulated, beaming brightly.

The little girl stood up and stared at her wordlessly.

Refusing to stay at this place any longer, the two of them gladly complied. They leaped through the glowing doorway without a second thought.

Ruan Nanzhu then turned to face Lin Qiushi and held out his hand, Come here, quickly

Lin Qiushi dashed madly towards the other. When Lin Qiushi finally closed the distance between him and Ruan Nanzhu, Ruan Nanzhu promptly grabbed his hand and pulled him sharply, drawing the other close into his strong embrace. With their bodies wrapped around each other, they both fell backwards into the door behind them.

Lin Qiushi didnt know if it was merely a figment of his imagination, but he felt as though something struck the back of his head the minute he passed through the door.

As they fell, the two were gently enveloped by the warm, soft glow. The shadows around them were soon expelled by the light, and the blood on Ruan Nanzhus body gradually faded, as well.

Inside the door was a tunnel that appeared to stretch endlessly into an unknown void; it was the same scenery as before. With this, they knew they had finally escaped from the nightmarish world of the door.

Ruan Nanzhu took Lin Qiushis hand and walked straight ahead. The two didnt speak at all; there were no words needed. They just advanced onwards together, harmoniously and hand-in-hand, until that familiar sensation of dizziness assaulted them, once again.

When Lin Qiushi finally opened his eyes, he was met with the familiar view of his own door and ordinary walls around him.

Standing at his side, Ruan Nanzhu gazed at him in silence.

After a great deal of effort, Lin Qiushi uncertainly questioned, Are we out?

Yeah. Ruan Nanzhu shoved something into his pocket. Come, go into the room.

Lin Qiushi decided to move his body, but the moment he took a step, he was hit by spasm of vertigo. His entire vision began to spin and he realized his body was going to fall to the ground, so he shut his eyes and steeled himself for the impact. But instead of crashing against the cold floor, he fell into a warm embrace.

Did you receive any injuries inside the door world? Ruan Nanzhu asked.

En. Lin Qiushi wearily slurred. It was as if all strength had left Lin Qiushis body; he didnt even have the energy to reply.

Ruan Nanzhu grew quiet and didnt wait any longer. Without pause, he directly lifted Lin Qiushi, carrying him bridal style, and headed inside. Ruan Nanzhu was currently holding a man who was 180 centimeters tall and who weighed more than 70 kilograms in his arms, yet he didnt even break a sweat. When the two entered the bedroom, Ruan Nanzhu gently set Lin Qiushis body down on the bed and said, You should sleep first.

Lin Qiushi was no longer able to speak, much less open his mouth. He simply closed his eyes and let his consciousness slip away from him, succumbing to a deep sleep.

Lin Qiushi didnt know how long he had slept for, but when he woke up, a white flower was placed next to his bedside and the smell of disinfectants lingered in the air. He was tormented by a myriad of strange dreams. Chaotic images would flash in his mind intermittently; one blurry image would vanish, only to be replaced with a new disorderly scene. Sometimes he would hear someone screaming and wailing in anguish; other times, he would catch a glimpse of someone taking their own life. It was all so bizarre, yet strangely familiar. Because of these sporadic, chilling dreams, Lin Qiushi was muddleheaded for a few minutes. It took him a good while, before he finally snapped out of his daze and realized he had already escaped the door world and was now lying down on a hospital bed with an IV drip inserted into his arm.

Seated near him was a spirited youth, the young boy he had frequently seen back in the villa, Cheng Qianli. Upon seeing Lin Qiushi open his eyes, Cheng Qianli skipped over and greeted the other, Lin Qiushi, youre up! How are you feeling?

Lin Qiushi felt like he had gone to hell and back. His entire body was aching, and he was drained of his energy. He groggily wondered, How long have I slept for

Cheng Qianli answered, Not that long. Why? Is there something wrong?

Lin Qiushi: My cat

Cheng Qianli: Goddamn. Is he serious right now? This guy is honestly like a one of those crazy cat ladies whose only purpose in life is to obsess over cats. Every single day, the only thing he thinks of is cats, cats, cats, ah! Its like his entire life revolves around cats! He cant even forget about them for a second! Look at himhe literally just woke up, but he didnt forget to mention his cat!

Everythings fine. You only slept for half a day. Cheng Qianli said. And your cats fine, too.

Lin Qiushi breathed out a sigh of relief, then finally asked, So, what happened to me?

You got sick. Cheng Qianli replied. It was just a high fever, nothing overly severe. Did you get hurt inside the door?

Yeah. Lin Qiushi admitted, My arm was injured by a knife.

Cheng Qianli hummed, Well, no matter, its all fine. Luckily, it was just a fever this time. Just remember to try not to get injured in the door worlds. Even insignificant wounds received inside the door world can be fatal to people the moment they step outside of that world.

Lin Qiushi nodded his head. What about Nanzhu?

Cheng Qianli said, Big brother Ruan had something to take care of, so he left a while earlier, but not before telling me to look after you. Anyways, how was it? How did it feel to experience the world of the door for a second time?

Lin Qiushi answered honestly, Not too bad. He paused for a moment, then continued, It was quite the close call though; I almost didnt come out. Shivers ran down Lin Qiushis spine at the thought of woman with the knife. Now that he was thinking back on it, it truly was a close call.

Geez, whats with that I almost didnt come out. Didnt you manage to escape pretty safe and sound? Cheng Qianli huffed. Besides, big brother Ruan followed you inside, so nothing too serious would probably ever happen to you. He then switched topics, So, how about it? Want an apple? Ill peel one for you!

Lin Qiushi couldnt keep up with this youngsters liveliness, so he just nodded silently, gladly accepting Cheng Qianlis kindness.

He had to say, after coming out of the door world, he felt as though he had been reborn into a new person, as if he discovered a newfound sense of life and renewal. Whether it was the brilliant sunshine, or the scorching temperature, or even the loud and clamorous voices of the people, all of it filled him with sheer contentment, and he couldnt have loved life even more.

Lin Qiushi happily munched on the tangy apple, and he felt like he was on cloud nine. As a person who despised hospitals, he even found that this hospital, which he would normally dread going to, didnt seem as unpleasant now.

Cheng Qianli sat beside him, playing games and casually chatting with Lin Qiushi from time to time.

Having talked and chatted nonstop, Lin Qiushi soon became drowsy. Just when he was about to close his eyes, he heard some shuffling coming from his side. He instinctively opened his eyes, only to see Ruan Nanzhu in front of him.

Ruan Nanzhus back was facing the light and shadows were obscuring his features, so Lin Qiushi couldnt make out the expression on the others face. But his voice extremely tender, ever so soothing, You woke up?

Lin Qiushi softly called out his name, Nanzhu

Ruan Nanzhu stroked his forehead affectionately and gently whispered, Sleep peacefully. Were out now; weve come back.

The instant Lin Qiushi heard Ruan Nanzhus voice and word, his racing heart miraculously calmed down. His eyes fluttered closed and, once again, he sank into a deep slumber. This time, those strange nightmares didnt plague him as he slept. There was nothing but the tranquility of the serene night surrounding him, allowing him to sleep peacefully and comfortably.

Authors Comment:

Lin Qiushi: I love cats so much.

Ruan Nanzhu thought for a moment: Meow~

Lin Qiushi: You dont have any hair.

Feeling wronged, Ruan Nanzhu pulled down the zipper of his trousers: But I do

Translators Comment:

First off, Volume 2 of KoD has finally been published! Only 2 more volumes left to go! But, speaking of Volume 2, the cover literally devastated me. I legit screamed, and it was most certainly not out of joywell, maybe half of it was because the volume is now out, but the other half was because RNZs character art is extremely arghdjsafkdaslh (disappointing)! But, of course, that wont stop me from purchasing the novel when I can lol.

That aside, Ive received the hardcopy of Volume 1 for KoD. And heres the thing, Volume 1 has four new extras not available on the web versionthe first three extras have several parts to them and are more like the short skits () under the the author has something to say sections, while the fourth extra is just one long extra about Qiushi and his cat. (Volume 2 apparently has 4 new extras as well, and it concludes with the Door 8; thats all I know about it though, because I dont have the actual volume yet.)

I just wanted to know if you guys would rather I translate the extras and place them after Door 4, which is where they are placed in Volume 1, since Volume 1 concludes at Door 4 OR wait until I receive the remaining 3 volumes, then combine all the extras at the very end of the novel, along with the extras found in the web version of the novel? I would appreciate if you guys shared your thoughts; otherwise, Ill probably skip over translating these new extras because I wouldnt know the best place to add the extras (or if you guys even want to read them).